by Donna Grant
Ava ended the kiss and stepped away from Lincoln. He slowly dropped his hands to his sides but didn’t take his eyes from her. While her heart hammered and her body ached for more of his kisses, he stood calm and firm.
It was only the fire in his bright blue eyes that told her he was fighting the passion inside him.
Ava swallowed and looked away. Lincoln might be hotter than any guy she had ever seen, and his kisses might send her body into overload...but he was a hunter. She refused to go through that again.
“Tell me how a tree with a cross can keep us safe?”
He took a step closer and tilted her chin up with his finger until she was looking at him. “Listen carefully, Ava. We’re on holy ground. As long as we remain here, you won’t be hurt. Understand?”
She nodded. “That’s a big wolf.”
“Werewolf,” he corrected. He dropped his hands and let out a sigh as he glanced at the creature. “He’s also my cousin.”
She remembered him saying something about family when they were running, but she was too intent on remaining alive to think much about it at the time. “Family?”
“A branch in New Orleans. They’re the LaRues. The first Chiasson that came to Louisiana didn’t come alone. He brought his brother. And his sister.”
“Ah.”
“That’s Kane,” Lincoln said and pointed to the black werewolf. “A couple hundred years ago the LaRues brought the wrath of a Voodoo priestess upon them. She cursed their family to be werewolves until the end of time.”
“They must have really pissed her off.”
“I don’t even know what they did, truth be told. It’s not something they talk about. Even with family.”
Ava looked at Kane who was pacing an invisible barrier from the edge of the water, all the way around the oak, and back to the water again. “Why would Kane travel knowing he would turn?”
“When werewolves turn, they know what’s going on. They remember who they are. When the LaRues shift, they make sure to kill deer or cattle. Never humans.”
Ava raised a brow. “Want to remind him of that?”
Lincoln walked to the oak and slid down the tree until he was seated on the ground. “That’s the thing. It seems my cousin didn’t learn anything from his relatives. Kane managed to piss off another priestess. She altered his curse so that when he shifted he would forget that he was human and kill whatever – or whoever – crossed his path.”
“He didn’t kill you.”
“No,” Lincoln said thoughtfully. “He didn’t.”
Ava shivered despite the hot night as she recalled the way the wolf seemed to zero in on her. “He would have killed me.”
“Why the hell were you in that field?”
“I was attacked. The men came out of nowhere,” she said and wrapped her arms around herself.
“You shouldn’t have been alone.”
Ave glared at him no matter how his Cajun accent made her blood heat. “I’ll have you know it took five of them to take me. I know how to defend myself. I had taken down several before they got the upper hand.”
Lincoln’s slow smile made her stomach flutter with...was that excitement and pleasure? God, she hoped not. It was already bad enough that she was insanely attracted to him. The last thing she wanted was to seek his approval. On anything.
“Did you get a look at the men?”
“No.” And she should have. “They were in all black, and they were intent on taking me no matter what. When I woke, I was in the middle of that field.”
Lincoln smoothed down a few strands of hair that had come loose from the queue at the back of his head. “It’s pure luck that I saw you at all. Had I went a different route, I wouldn’t have.”
Ava glanced at the werewolf – Kane – to see him staring at her while he paced. “Where is your vehicle?”
“I was on foot.”
“What? Why in the world would you be on foot? It’s quicker to go anywhere by car.”
“Perhaps,” he drawled. “But if I had been in my truck on the road miles from where you were, I wouldn’t have spotted you.”
“Oh.” She found herself looking at the immense paws of the werewolf.
“Besides, I can cross more land on foot if I’m tracking something than I can if I’m in a vehicle.”
“Looks as if you found Kane.”
“I wasn’t tracking him. I was coming for you.”
Ava’s gaze jerked to his. He had been out looking for her. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had thought of her. She had been on her own for so long she had forgotten what it was like to have someone worry about her.
It was uncomfortable to have Lincoln’s direct gaze on her. It was as if he knew the turmoil she was in. Ava swallowed and said, “I lost my cell phone. Do you have yours so we can call Olivia or your brothers to come get us?”
“No. We don’t carry phones on our hunts. The sound of a ringer or even a vibration could get us killed.”
“How are we supposed to get away?” She wouldn’t panic. She wouldn’t panic.
“We can’t.”
She was panicking.
Ava turned away, her mind racing with everything that had happened. She needed to put some distance between her and Lincoln.
One moment she was on her feet walking, and the next she saw a blur of black fur and white fangs before she was on her back, Lincoln leaning over her with a murderous expression.
“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” he ground out.
Ava blinked, unsure of what had happened. Then her mind stopped working at all at the feel of Lincoln’s weight atop her. Before she could wonder at her body’s instant – and traitorous – response, Lincoln jumped off her and grabbed a stick.
Ava sat up and watched him jab the end of the stick in the ground and begin to draw a line. All the while the wolf pawed the dirt and growled.
Lincoln threw down the stick and grabbed her upper arm. He yanked her up and dragged her to the line he had drawn on the ground. “Don’t go outside this line unless you want to be Kane’s next meal. As you almost were just now.”
Ava followed the line to see it made a large square around the live oak about twelve feet on each side. The werewolf stayed just on the other side of the line.
She turned to look at Lincoln. “Thanks for saving me. Again.”
He kept his back to her as he stared out over the bayou. Not that she blamed him. She had nearly ended her own life. Not on purpose. It wasn’t as if she knew where the barrier was. If she hadn’t been so worried about being alone with him, she wouldn’t have made such a dumbass move.
Nope. The blame was squarely on her shoulders.
Ava walked to the oak and sat at its base. The night had turned into a nightmare, and she just wanted it to be over.
The problem was, she feared that if she and Lincoln did survive, she wouldn’t be able to stay away from him and his sexy, soul-stirring kisses.
CHAPTER SIX
Lincoln thought he had experienced dread before, but that was before he saw Kane lunge for Ava. For a split second, Lincoln feared he wouldn’t reach her in time. He still wasn’t sure how he had gotten to her before Kane. Yet somehow he had. Lincoln closed his eyes and tried to calm his racing heart.
If something had happened to Ava, it was on his conscience. He was the one who was supposed to keep her safe. The first thing he should have done was mark the ground so she would know how far she could go.
What had he done instead? Kiss her. And what a kiss it had been. He could still taste her, still feel the warmth of her body against his.
He wanted more of her. Needed more of her.
Just as Christian had warned him, Lincoln had to focus on keeping them alive, not on the many ways he wanted to strip away her clothes and make love to her.
Lincoln looked at Kane to find his cousin’s yellow werewolf gaze focused with intensity on Ava. If Kane didn’t remember who he was, why hadn’t he clawed or bitten him when Lincoln had fac
ed him? Why had Kane merely knocked him to the ground and fixated on Ava?
That was twice that night that Kane had let him live. Not that Lincoln was complaining, but it didn’t make sense. Something about the entire situation didn’t add up, no matter how he tried to look at it.
Lincoln squatted on the balls of his feet and considered their options. With Kane seemingly obsessed with Ava, and with Kane’s speed and power, they wouldn’t get one foot off holy ground before they were attacked.
Not even the bayous would be safe under a full moon. All animals – supernatural and not – were affected by the full moon. Their only possibility for survival was to remain on holy ground until dawn.
Lincoln looked over his shoulder at Ava to find her asleep. He rushed to her when she began to tilt to the side, getting to her just before she fell. He sat beside her and propped her against his shoulder. She sighed and sagged against him while Kane sat, his gaze still on Ava.
“What are you doing, Kane?”
The werewolf briefly looked at him.
“Why are you after Ava?” Lincoln whispered.
Lincoln looked at the sky. It was going to be hours before dawn.
~ ~ ~
Olivia paced the floor. She dialed Ava’s number again, hoping against hope that her friend would answer this time. Instead of ringing, it went directly to voicemail.
She halted and stared at the phone. If it went directly to voicemail then that meant someone had turned off Ava’s phone. And that wasn’t good news at all.
Olivia sank onto a chair and closed her eyes. Ava knew what the Chiassons did. She understood the things that were out there. There was no way that she would knowingly put herself in danger.
No matter how Olivia looked at it, it didn’t appear good for Ava. But if anyone could find her, she knew Lincoln could. Olivia just prayed that it was before something awful happened.
~ ~ ~
Lincoln’s eyes snapped open when he heard the faint whistle. His brothers had found them. Lincoln let out a sigh of relief and looked at Kane. His cousin hadn’t moved. His ears swiveled, indicating that he too heard the noise, but he didn’t turn his gaze away from Ava.
“Be careful,” Lincoln said into the night to his brothers. “Kane, as we know him, is gone for now.”
Kane lifted his snout and sniffed the air. Lincoln could tell he knew others were out there. However, instead of going after them as Lincoln expected, he remained. His brothers wouldn’t make any undue noise, which meant no talking. The same didn’t apply to Lincoln since he was on holy ground.
“Kane is focused on Ava. He knows you’re out there.”
Lincoln smiled when he saw a canoe coming toward him in the water. He started to rise when Beau held up his hand. Lincoln frowned. What were his brothers up to?
Beau stopped paddling while he was still in deep water. Kane growled low but didn’t go after him.
“We got another call from Solomon,” Beau said softly, the water allowing his voice to reach Lincoln.
An uneasy feeling filled Lincoln. “What did he say?”
Beau set the paddle across his lap. “They managed to catch the priestess. With a little…prompting…from Solomon and his brothers, she imparted more information about what she did to Kane.”
Lincoln glanced down at Ava. Her deep, even breaths indicated that she was still asleep, and Lincoln had never been more grateful. He looked back at Beau and waited for his brother to continue. The fact that Beau hesitated told Lincoln the news was going to be worse than he had hoped.
“Kane thinks he came here to get away from New Orleans and the threat of killing. He has no idea the priestess sent him.”
“For us?” Lincoln asked. “Because he’s had two chances to kill me and hasn’t.”
“No. He was given a target.”
Lincoln’s heart stopped. He knew exactly who the target was – Ava. But why? As far as he knew, this was Ava’s first time back to Louisiana since she left as a teenager. Why would a Voodoo priestess have targeted her?
It was an answer he would find once dawn arrived. He vowed then and there that he would be the one to protect Ava.
“There’s more,” Beau said.
“How much more can there be?” Lincoln asked. “Kane is after Ava. Do we know why?”
Beau shook his head. “Linc, if Kane kills a human, he’ll remain a werewolf forever. Or until he’s killed.”
The hits just kept coming. Damn. “Did Solomon kill that priestess?” Lincoln asked through clenched teeth.
“They’re keeping her alive in the hope that they can...persuade...her to lift the curse.”
Lincoln blew out a deep breath. “We’ll talk to Kane when dawn hits and find out why he was sent after Ava.”
“That won’t be possible.”
Lincoln shook his head. “That bitch couldn’t have done anything else.”
“She made it so that Kane would remain a werewolf for the entire cycle of the full moon. He won’t shift back to human form at dawn, Linc.”
“Then how in the hell am I supposed to get Ava back home?”
“You can’t. Kane will follow her through Hell itself if he has to. You have to stay on holy ground.” Beau tossed a bag from the canoe onto shore. “Here are some supplies. One of us will be nearby watching. We’ll return with more supplies later.”
“Ava said she was attacked by five men. See what you can find out about them. I want a chance at the assholes.”
Beau’s smile was full of wickedness. “Only if I get a go at them as well.”
Lincoln gave a nod to his brother and watched as Beau turned the canoe around and paddled away. Anger simmered within Lincoln. If Solomon and the others didn’t kill that priestess, he was going to go to New Orleans himself to do it.
He wasn’t looking forward to explaining to Ava that they would be spending two more nights – and days – there. Ava was a city girl. She might know how to defend herself, but he didn’t see her as the camping type.
Two nights. Alone.
With Ava.
How the hell would he be able to keep his hands off of her? Especially when she used him as a pillow? It was going to be the longest forty-eight hours of his life.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Ava woke to the worst crick in her neck. She grabbed her neck and opened her eyes to see the bayou. Shit on toast. It hadn’t been a dream. She really had been attacked by a group of men clad in all black, chased by a werewolf, and...kissed by Lincoln Chiasson.
In that instant, she realized the cushioning for her head was none other than Lincoln himself. Her stomach fluttered at the knowledge that she had spent hours against him.
All those hard muscles.
All that warm skin.
All that sexy goodness.
Ava slowly sat up to find Lincoln looking at her with a grim expression. “What? Did I snore?”
One side of his lips lifted in a half smile. “Only once or twice.”
Oh, God. Was he joking? Ava sincerely hoped so. She stretched her neck and discreetly checked her mouth to make sure she hadn’t drooled in her sleep.
The sky was lightening by the minute. Ava couldn’t wait to get back to Olivia’s to have a hot shower, food, and at least three pots of coffee. She looked to her right where the wolf had been. When she didn’t see him, she looked to her left expecting to see the werewolf gone and a man in its place.
Instead she found the black werewolf still staring at her.
“It’s dawn,” she said, shaken to her core.
Lincoln’s chin touched his chest as he sat forward. “My brothers came last night.”
“And they didn’t help us?” She scooted away from Lincoln, as apprehension iced her veins. “What’s going on, Lincoln. I have to know.”
“I let you sleep because you were exhausted.” He lifted his head while taking a deep breath and met her gaze. “We won’t be going anywhere for a few days.”
“A few days?” she repeated, wondering how she sounded so
calm when her heart pounded against her ribs. Ava searched his face to see if he were joking, but it only took another glance at Kane to comprehend the truth of Lincoln’s words. She licked her lips. “What happened?”
“Solomon and the rest of the LaRues caught the priestess in New Orleans. With a bit of LaRue persuasion she told them a bit more about the curse she put on Kane.”
It didn’t take much for her to guess what it was. “Instead of reverting back to human form at dawn, I gather the priestess made it so that Kane will stay a werewolf until the full moon cycle is done.”
“That’s part of it.” Lincoln got to his feet and walked to the edge of the bayou within their safe zone. “If Kane kills a human while in werewolf form, he’ll remain a werewolf forever.”
“That’s...a bit extreme. This woman must be a real piece of work.”
“Most don’t understand that messing with Voodoo is not a good idea. Infuriating a priestess is even worse.”
Ava ran her fingers through her hair in an effort to detangle the strands. She gazed at Lincoln’s back, wondering what he was thinking, and wishing like hell that she could see his face. “Why do I get the feeling there’s more?”
“Did you have any dealings with anyone in New Orleans?”
She considered his words for a minute. “There’s a law firm there we were working with, but that’s the extent of my association with New Orleans.”
“What about your mother?”
Ava chuckled. “My mother doesn’t even like to say Louisiana, much less get anywhere near the border. Trust me, she doesn’t have anything to do with anyone in New Orleans. Why are you asking?”
Lincoln faced her. The look of regret and frustration caused her stomach to clench in dread. “The priestess sent Kane after you,” Lincoln said.
Ava shook her head. “There must be some kind of mistake.”
“None. I encountered Kane twice last night, and he didn’t harm me either time. Both times he could have. One of my brothers and a friend also had a run in with Kane, and both of them came out of it alive and unhurt as well. I was there when Kane was chasing you last night. He wanted you.”